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Thread: Vahtiece Alfonzo Kirkman - Florida

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    Vahtiece Alfonzo Kirkman - Florida


    Darice Knowles





    Vahtiece Alfonzo Kirkman Sentenced to Life in 2006 FL Slaying of Willie Parker

    A 32-year-old will become the third gunman imprisoned for his role in a 2006 drug-motivated robbery that led to a fatal shooting in Cocoa.

    Vahtiece Alfonzo Kirkman could face the death penalty after a 12-member jury found him guilty Wednesday of first-degree premeditated murder. He also was convicted of attempted murder and attempted robbery. His trial enters the sentencing phase today.

    On Feb. 28, 2006, according to the authorities, Kirkman and two accomplices tried to rob 29-year-old Willie Parker South Georgia Avenue. Parker and a friend were sitting on a car outside a home when three men wearing ski masks approached and gunned him down.

    Drugs were found in the car, the police said.

    One gunman, Christopher Barnett Pratt, 32, told prosecutors in September 2010 that he participated in the robbery. Pratt accepted a plea deal that sent him to prison for 20 years in exchange for testifying against Kirkman.

    A third accomplice, Jonathan Lee Page, 25, was convicted of murder in March 2010. He received a life sentence.

    As part of his plea deal, Pratt told authorities that he helped someone kill Darice Knowles, 22, a student from the Bahamas who told a police officer about Parker’s killers.

    Pratt admitted to helping to bind Knowles with duct tape, then bury her alive in concrete. In August 2010, investigators unearthed what they thought was her body near State Road 524.

    Kirkman has not been charged in Knowles’ death. Assistant State Attorney Bill Respess anticipated the slaying would go before a grand jury.

    http://www.floridatoday.com/article/...t|Local%20News

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    A jury recommended a life sentence Friday for the man they found guilty of murder in a 2006 shooting in Cocoa.

    Vahtiece Alfonzo Kirkman, 32, is the third gunman to face prison for his role in the robbery that led to the fatal shooting of Willie Parker.
    The jury had the option of recommending the death penalty.

    Christopher Barnett Pratt, 32, testified against Kirkman in exchange for 20-year prison sentence in a plea deal for his role.

    Jonathan Lee Page, 25, is serving a life sentence after his March 2010 murder conviction for Parker's death.

    Circuit Court Judge John Griesbaum will weigh the jury's decision and sentence Kirkman, who also was convicted Wednesday of attempted murder and attempted robbery with a weapon.

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    Jury selection begins for man accused in 2006 death of former beauty queen

    BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A decade after a former beauty queen was buried alive, one of her accused killers is standing trial.

    Prosecutors believe Darice Knowles, 22 years old at the time of her death, was killed because of what she knew about another Brevard County homicide.

    Prosecutors said they’re seeking the death penalty for Vahtiece Kirkman, 37, who is already serving a life sentence in prison for murdering Willie Parker. He was indicted in 2012.

    Knowles, a college student and former Bahamian beauty queen, was killed in 2006. She was buried alive and encased in concrete on a wooded lot in Cocoa for what prosecutors believe she knew about Parker’s murder.

    Knowles’ body was recovered in 2010.

    Jury selection began Monday and jurors are likely to hear from Knowles’ ex-boyfriend, Christopher Pratt, who was a defendant in the case. He is serving a 20-year sentence in the murders of Knowles and Parker.

    Pratt said he saw Knowles speaking with a police officer and believed she may have told him about his and Kirkman’s involvement in Parker’s death. He also said Kirkman ordered him at gunpoint to dig a hole, use duct tape to restrain Knowles, and pour concrete and dirt over her.

    As part of his plea agreement, Pratt revealed the location of Knowles' body.

    It will likely take several days to seat a jury.

    http://www.wftv.com/news/local/jury-...ueen/183937235
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Defendant in beauty queen's murder trial claims attorney fell asleep in court

    A Brevard County man who could be put to death for the alleged murder of a beauty queen took on his own attorney in court Wednesday.

    A few deputies said they saw Vahtiece Kirkman’s attorney fall asleep in the court room Tuesday, while another attorney said she didn’t see anything.

    Kirkman said it’s his life on the line and reminded the judge prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in his case.

    “It is what it is. I’m the one that got to live with this. Not you, not my attorney, not the news people, not my family,” said Kirkman.

    Kirkman is on trial for his role in the death of Darice Knowles.

    Prosecutors said the former beauty queen from the Bahamas was kidnapped, and encased in concrete while she was still alive. The encasement was left in a wooded area of Cocoa.

    Her ex-boyfriend, Christopher Pratt, who was also accused in the killing from 10 years ago, but has already taken a plea deal.

    Kirkman is already serving a life sentence for a robbery-related shooting death in 2006.

    Usual proceedings were placed on hold Wednesday morning as Kirkman urged a judge to review courtroom cameras, claiming his attorney fell asleep Tuesday as the jury was listening to jail calls.

    “I ain’t the smartest person in the world, but I got to watch my surroundings because it’s my life. You know what I’m saying?” said Kirkman.

    A judge called several deputies to the stand, asking them what they observed.

    “What did you see? Rather than what appeared and dozing off, what do you mean by that?” said the judge.

    “Eyes closed and it looked like he was asleep,” said the deputy.

    Another deputy testified the attorney had his eyes closed, but another deputy said she didn’t see him sleeping, however she was paying more attention to the entire room, and not just counsel.

    Kirkman’s attorney took the stand and said he wasn’t feeling well, and only shut his eyes for 30 seconds or so.

    “I had a bad headache yesterday afternoon and I did close my eyes trying to relieve the headache,” the attorney said.

    The judge will review the courtroom cameras and decide.

    After the court proceedings about the attorney who may have fallen asleep, a forensic photographer testified about the bones she photographed.

    “There was duct tape around what would have been the mouth area and her spine extended down, and her hands were located up with her wrist crosses and duct taped,” the photographer said.

    She added detectives had to dig a few feet to get to the remains.

    The jury was shown photos where the bones were found in concrete.

    http://www.wftv.com/news/local/defen...leep/199816108
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    Brevard death penalty trial grinds to a halt

    The death penalty trial of Vahtiece Kirkman ground to a halt today as prosecutors struggled with one witness on the stand and worked to locate another needed for testimony.

    Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Kirkman in connection to the 2006 disappearance and death of 22-year-old Darice Knowles, a Bahamian national visiting friends in Cocoa. Testimony began Tuesday.

    Kirkman, 37, also stood and made a rambling statement about the time it's taken to bring the case to court.

    "You know it's been a long two weeks," he told Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Mahl after the jury had been dismissed for the day. "(The state) done had ten years...my family, my grandmother is 80 years old, she can't take much more...everybody is ready."

    He also complained that he had a hernia and was in "a lot of pain."

    Mahl, who is allowing prosecutors time to find the missing witness, gave a flustered appearing Kirkman a terse response after his first statement.

    "Bottom line, we'll go forward," Mahl said.

    Investigators said Kirkman plotted to kill Knowles after learning she went out on a date with a Cocoa police officer.

    He was afraid the former beauty contestant would tell the officer about his role in another 2006 homicide. Prosecutors said he then kidnapped and buried Knowles alive, in concrete, with help from her boyfriend, Christopher Pratt.

    Earlier this week, Kirkman also accused his defense attorney of sleeping on the job, prompting the judge to take a statement on the stand from the attorney.

    Assistant State Attorney Respess wouldn't speak directly on Kirkman's rants but said the case has taken four years to get to court for several reasons.

    "He was indicted in 2012 when we got genetic confirmation it was the victim. He's also had two attorneys. That's basically it," he said.

    Respess said the state plans to rest its case tomorrow.

    The trial will last into next week. Jurors will then decide whether to recommend the death penalty or life in prison for Kirkman.

    http://www.floridatoday.com/story/ne...halt/82746034/
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

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    Man who had woman buried alive found guilty of murder

    VIERA, Fla. -- A Florida jury on Friday found a man accused of ordering his former drug associate to bury a woman alive guilty of murder reports CBS affiliate WKMG.

    Vahtiece Kirkman was found guilty in connection with the 2006 disappearance and death of 22-year-old Darice Knowles, a Bahamian national who was visiting friends in Cocoa, Florida.

    Kirkman's former partner, Christopher Pratt, testified on Tuesday that Kirkman ordered him to kill Knowles, or die along with her.

    "He gave me this ultimatum- it's either her or both of us," Pratt said, who took a plea deal in 2010 as part of agreement to testify against Kirman.

    Pratt and Kirkman are also both doing time in connection with another murder.

    Pratt told a jury Tuesday that Kirkman wanted Knowles killed for hanging out with a Cocoa cop.

    Pratt says he defended Knowles but Kirkman didn't change his mind.

    "You could see she was terrified," Pratt testified. "He told me to start digging."

    He continued that Kirkman ordered him to tie up Knowles by her hands and legs, put her in a hole and then cover her with cement and dirt, killing her.

    Pratt was asked by the prosecuting attorney if before leaving the site if he noticed any part of Knowles body sticking out of the ground.

    He replied, "Yes, her foot, the toes."

    He continued that he covered the remaining exposed body parts with cement and Kirkman ordered him to do so.

    Prosecutors will seek the death penalty at Kirkman's sentencing on Monday.

    http://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-who-...lty-of-murder/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Jury recommends death for Vahtiece Kirkman

    Another life sentence isn’t enough for a man convicted in the 2006 murder of a former beauty queen, prosecutors said.

    The jury recommended death Tuesday for Vahtiece Kirkman, who was convicted of the murder of Darice Knowles, with a vote of 10-to-2.

    The judge will accept or deny the jury's recommendation at sentencing on April 29 at 1:15 p.m.

    Prosecutors were seeking the death penalty Kirkman, 37. He is already serving a life sentence for the 2006 murder of Willie Parker.

    Prosecutors said Knowles knew she was going to die for at least an hour. They said she was taped up, carried into the woods and buried alive under cement.

    Prosecutors believe that she was killed because she had knowledge of Kirkman’s involvement in Parker’s murder.

    Jurors listened as prosecutors talked about Kirkman’s past misdeeds, including robbery, aggravated battery and murder. They said his violent past and the terror he caused Knowles should be enough to warrant the death penalty.

    http://www.wftv.com/news/local/vahti...alty/211617091
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

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    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    Judge Sentences Vahtiece Kirkman To Death After 2006 Homicide of Former Beauty Queen

    Vahtiece Kirkman was sentenced to death Friday afternoon after the conviction of the Darice Knowles murder in 2006.

    22-year-old former beauty queen Darice Knowles was buried alive by Kirkman back in 2006. Her body wasn’t recovered until four years after the incident.

    According to investigators findings, the woman was taken to a wooded area, where she was then tied up and gagged. She was then thrown into a hole and covered in concrete.

    http://spacecoastdaily.com/2016/04/j...-beauty-queen/

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    Death sentence vacated today by the Florida Supreme Court because of Hurst.

    http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/d...8/sc16-808.pdf
    Don't ask questions, just consume product and then get excited for next products.

    "They will hurt you. They will hurt your grandma, these people. The root cause of this is there's no discipline in the homes, they don't go to school, you know, they live off the government, no personal accountability, and they just beat people up for no reason, and it's disgusting." - Former Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters

  10. #10
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    how can someone not vote for the death penalty for someone who buried someone alive because she had knowledge of a prior murder? how atrocious does a person have to be?

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